Hard to believe it’s winter . . . This pair of deer aren’t
quite in the alarm posture, but they are checking out the
intrusion of their domain south of Biggar last week. With

Saskatchewan’s economy
had a banner year in
2011 and the New Year
is projected to be even
better.
The province set records
for investment and
population growth in
2011 and two independent
forecasters are predicting
that Saskatchewan will
continue to lead Canada
and set records in 2012.
“The statistics are good,
but even better is the fact
that people and investors
recognize the real growth
yet to come and know
that Saskatchewan is
becoming the leading place
to do business in Canada,”
Enterprise Minister Jeremy
Harrison said December
29. “This year we have had
many new businesses start
in the province, businesses
move from other locations
and existing businesses
expanding in all corners of
the province.”
Two major forecasters,
RBC and the Conference
Board of Canada
have predicted that
Saskatchewan will lead
economic growth this year
at 4.5 per cent and 5.1

per cent respectively. An
average of seven forecasters
predict Saskatchewan will
have the second fastest
growing economy in Canada
in 2011. And while other
jurisdictions are seeing
their credit ratings slide,
Saskatchewan received
a boost to AAA by the
international credit rating
firm of Standard and
Poor’s.
“The progress we have
made this year is great,
but what is more important
is the potential for future
investment capital, with
about $50 billion in the
next 20 years in the works
for the mining industry,”
Harrison said. “There are
many long term projects,
most of them in potash, that
look particularly bright.”
Private and public
investment is expected to
reach $17 billion in 2011,
an all-time record for
the province. Population
levels are growing at
rates the province has not
experienced for decades and
hit record levels in 2011,
with 1,063,535 people now
living in Saskatchewan.

students into those schools
with a goal of providing
educational excellence,”
said Wotherspoon.
Other jurisdictions offer
solutions for building
diversity and diverse values
into the public system.
For example, Toronto’s
school board offers after-

school classes for minority
language instruction.
“The Sask Party plan will be
fragmenting, piecemealing
and eroding education
instead of providing a
vision, plan and resources
to ensure delivery of high
quality education to all
Saskatchewan students.”

The NDP is also concerned
that such a fundamental
change to education in
Saskatchewan wasn’t
discussed with the people
of the province during the
recent election campaign
and was made without
consulting the education
sector.

Municipality on reaching
this milestone.
Keith Aldridge was
recognized for his 38 years
of service as Councillor for
Division 2 and received an
engraved plaque from the
RM and a Public Service
award from SARM. Joy
Aldridge was given a
bouquet of roses for her
support of Keith over the
past many years on council.
They both ably responded
with some humorous
stories about Keith’s years
both as an employee of the
RM and later a council
member. Then Keith and
Joy unveiled a large wall
plaque in the shape of the
Municipality, which he had
made. On it are engraved

plates with the names of
all the past members of
council and administrative
staff from 1911 to present
day. This beautiful piece of
woodwork will be displayed
in the Municipal ofﬁce in
Kelﬁeld.
Councillor Jeffrey
Hoogeveen gave a
tribute to the many
families throughout the
municipality that had
been awarded the Century
Farm Award and outlined
the process by which the
award is presented.
Congratulatory messages
from the Honourable
Gerry Ritz and MLA
Randy Weekes were read
by Reeve Sally Germsheid
and throughout the

evening she shared “Did
you know?” moments and
noteworthy resolutions
passed over the last 100
years. Richard Burton,
Aubrey Wood, Jeffrey
Wheaton and Larry Toner
addressed the gathering
and spoke of the respect
and pride they felt for
the people, some family
members, who were
instrumental in forming
the municipality.
The evening concluded
with visiting and
discussions around the
many displays of historical
memorabilia including
a1923 engineer’s rendering
of the roads in the RM on a
hand-written wall map.

little to zero snow on the ground, the days seem more like
fall. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Two dead in Grandora collision
On January 2, at
approximately 8 p.m.
Warman RCMP, RCMP
collision analyst
and Saskatoon Fire
department responded to
a two vehicle motor vehicle

collision on Highway 14
west of Saskatoon near
Grandora.
A pick up travelling
westbound bound collided
with a car travelling

eastbound. The driver and
passenger of the car were
pronounced dead at the
scene. The driver of the
pick up was transported
to a Saskatoon hospital

to be treated for non-life
threatening injuries. The
collision is still under
investigation.
Deceased are Brenda and
Julie Scarfe.

Cost too steep for Sask Party’s independent school funding:
The Sask Party’s plan
to divert funding to
independent faithbased schools will erode
education, according to
NDP education critic Trent
Wotherspoon.
Wotherspoon used the
early days of the new year to
consult with stakeholders

impacted by the decision.
“Diverting already-thin
dollars away from students
will move Saskatchewan
backwards,” said
Wotherspoon, January 5. He
consulted with leadership
in the education sector,
the Saskatchewan School
Boards Association and the

Saskatchewan Teachers’
Federation, as well as with
parents after hearing the
government’s plan to begin
funding private, faithbased schools classiﬁed as
independent.
“We should aim to improve
the existing education
system and welcome all

Over 90 people attended
the 100th Anniversary
Dinner and Program of

the Rural Municipality
of Grandview No. 349 on
Saturday, December 10,

one day short of the actual
anniversary date.
Earlier in the day an open
house was held at the ofﬁce
and shop where many
items of interest from the
past were displayed.
The evening attendees
were first treated to a
delicious meal served by
Cando Caterers in the
Kelfield Community
Hall which was
beautifully decorated in
a Christmas and Golden
anniversary theme. David
Marit, President of the
Saskatchewan Association
of Rural Municipalities
and Darryl Senecal SARM
Director for Division 6
attended and personally
congratulated the

Pat Turner was the lucky winner of the $300 gift
certiﬁcate.
Independent Christmas promotion puts
smiles on faces of some
lucky residents . . .
The Biggar Independent’s
Christmas promotion
came to another happy
ending for some lucky
folks. Thanks to all who
participated, especially
our local businesses.
Left top photo: Urla Tyler
of The Independent congratulates Rita Tavanetz,
right, on winning the
La-Z-Boy leather rocker/
recliner.

TOWN OF BIGGAR, SASKATCHEWAN
ASPHALTIC CONCRETE RESURFACING -TURNBULL AVE. - RESIDENTIAL
NOTICE OF LOCAL IMPROVEMENT SPECIAL
ASSESSMENTS AND BOARD OF REVISION SITTING
Notice is given that:
1.
The council of the Town of Biggar has prepared a special assessment roll
for the following local improvements:
Local Improvement
Number: 2011 - 1
Description of Work: Asphaltic Concrete Surfacing -- Turnbull Ave. Residential

Location
Turnbull Ave.

From
Saskatchewan Street

To
158.54 meters east

and proposes to levy a part of the cost of this local improvement against the
lands which beneÀted.
2.
The special assessment roll is open for inspection at the ofÀce of the assessor
of the municipality during regular hours until 3:30 o’clock p.m. on the 10
day of February, 2012, at the Biggar Town OfÀce, 202 Third Avenue West.
3.
Any person who desires to appeal a proposed special assessment must
submit an appeal in writing, stating the grounds of the appeal, at the ofÀce
of the assessor during regular ofÀce hours not later than 3:30 o’clock p.m.
on the 10 day of February, 2012, at the Biggar Town OfÀce, 202 Third
Avenue West.
4.
The Board of Revision will sit to hear any appeals of proposed special
assessments received by the time and date indicated above at 2:00 o’clock
p.m., on the 14 day of February, 2012, at the Biggar Town OfÀce Council
Chambers.
Dated at Biggar, Saskatchewan, this 9 day of January, 2012.
Barb Barteski
Chief Administrative OfÀcer

TOWN OF BIGGAR, SASKATCHEWAN
ASPHALTIC CONCRETE RESURFACING -TURNBULL AVE. - COMMERCIAL
NOTICE OF LOCAL IMPROVEMENT SPECIAL
ASSESSMENTS AND BOARD OF REVISION SITTING
Notice is given that:
1.
The council of the Town of Biggar has prepared a special assessment roll for the
following local improvements:
Local Improvement
Number: 2011 - 2
Description of Work: Asphaltic Concrete Surfacing -- Turnbull Ave. - Commercial
Location
From
To
Turnbull Ave.
Main Street
158.54 meters east
of Saskatchewan Street
and proposes to levy a part of the cost of this local improvement against the
lands which beneÀted.
2.
The special assessment roll is open for inspection at the ofÀce of the assessor of
the municipality during regular hours until 3:30 o’clock p.m. on the 10 day of
February, 2012, at the Biggar Town OfÀce, 202 Third Avenue West.
3.
Any person who desires to appeal a proposed special assessment must submit an
appeal in writing, stating the grounds of the appeal, at the ofÀce of the assessor
during regular ofÀce hours not later than 3:30 o’clock p.m. on the 10 day of
February, 2012, at the Biggar Town OfÀce, 202 Third Avenue West.
4.
The Board of Revision will sit to hear any appeals of proposed special assessments
received by the time and date indicated above at 2:00 o’clock p.m., on the 14
day of February, 2012, at the Biggar Town OfÀce Council Chambers.
Dated at Biggar, Saskatchewan, this 9 day of January, 2012.
Barb Barteski
Chief Administrative OfÀcer

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 3

MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2012

Council Minute highlights

Setting for the day . . . The sun sets on another day as temperatures continue
to stay warm. For most people, the winter has been a mild experience - for others,
zero to little snow means no skiing, no ski-dooing, no tobogganing, no fun, just icy
patches and confused weathermen. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)

Charges laid in assault case
On December 28, North
Battleford RCMP
responded to a shots
fired call on the Red
Pheasant First Nation
located approximately 30
kilometres south of North
Battleford.
When ofﬁcers arrived,
they found a 36-yearold woman had been
assaulted with a shot

gun. Emergency Health
Services attended
and transported the
injured person to
hospital for treatment.
The investigation
is in the early stages
and investigators are
speaking with neighbours
and potential witnesses
about what they heard
and saw.

The RCMP have laid
the following charges
a g a i n s t 3 4 - y e a r- o l d
Robin Wuttunee (male)
and 22-year-old Ashley
Wu t t u n e e ( m a l e ) i n
connection with this
occurrence: possession
of a weapon for the
dangerous purpose; point
ﬁrearm; assault with a
weapon; careless use of
a ﬁrearm; unauthorized
possession of a ﬁrearm;
possession of a ﬁrearm
contrary to prohibition
order; mischief under
$5,000.
Arrest warrants have
been issued for Robin
Wuttunee and Ashley
Wuttunee. The public is
asked not to approach
these individuals and to
call 911 if they see either
of these individuals.
If you have any
information please contact
the North Battleford
RCMP Detachment at
306-446-1720 or Crime
Stoppers at 1-800-2228477.

The regular meeting of
Biggar Town Council was
held December 6,at 7:15 p.m.
in the Council Chambers.
Attending the meeting were
Mayor Ray Sadler,Aldermen
Ron Arnold, Jim Besse, Don
Cleaveley, Penny McCallum,
Eugene Motruk, and Kirk
Sherbino.
Council resolved that
Bylaw No. 11-723, a bylaw
respecting the Biggar
Waterworks Public Utility
Service, be given three
readings at this meeting
and adopted.
Council resolved that the
General Accounts Paid in
the amount of $126,171.11,
and the General Accounts
Payable in the amount of
$41,640.29, be approved.
Council resolved that
the following amounts be
transferred to reserves
for 2011: Diamond Lodge
Project - $250,000; Fire
Truck - $25,000; Fire
Department Computer $1,000; Fire Department
Hose/Valves - $5,000; Future
Town Celebrations - $2,000;
SCBA Replacements $10,000; Recreation Pool
Slide - $5,000; Little Apple
Park - $17,000; Recreation
Department Truck - $5,000.
Total = $320,000. Also
resolved were the following
amounts transferred from
reserves for 2011: Office
Renovations - $77,000;
Council Chambers Carpet

- $2,000; 100th Celebration
- $5,000; Office Sign $2,500; Fire Department,
R e s c u e S u i t s / Ve s t s
- $2,947.20; Pavement $425,000; McPhee Street
Subdivision - $20,000;
Community Hall Kitchen
- $14,000; Recreation Pool
Slide - $10,500; Little Apple
Park - $47,000; Recreation
Half-Ton Truck - $10,000;
Recreation Mower - $20,000.
Total = $635,947.20.
Council resolved that
the Water and Sewer Line
Private Connection Policy
being reviewed, be tabled
to the December 20, 2011
regular meeting of Council.
Council resolved that the
correspondence from Hayter
Drilling, quoting the cost to
rehab Well No. 5 for $15,230
plus GST, be approved.
Council resolved that
the quote from K and S
Contracting to repair the
inside wall of the Biggar
Community Hall, be
approved and that they be
notiﬁed to start the repairs
in January of 2012.
Council resolved that
the discretionary use
development permit
application by Henry
Rowsell to allow a homebased martial arts club in
R1-Low Density Residential
District, be advertised in
accordance with Zoning
Bylaw No. 01-632.
Council resolved that the

Town of Biggar’s signing
authorities duly execute
the Memorandum of
Understanding for funding
of the long-term care facility
with the Heartland Regional
Health Authority.
Council resolved that
invoice No. 1850, in the
amount of $1,449.50 from
AirScapes International for
digital aerial photos of the
Town of Biggar, be approved
for payment.
Council resolved that
application be made to
the Local Government
Committee for permission
to borrow the sum of
$1,750,000 in 2012 payable
over a period of 10 years,
for the purpose of the
Town’s contribution to the
construction of a new longterm care home, and that
the amount of the said
debt shall be payable in 10
instalments of $208,834.55
in the years 2013 to 2022
inclusive with interest
payable at a rate of 3.35
per cent per annum payable
at least annually.
Council resolved that the
Town of Biggar commit
to pay the cost of up
to $15,000 to the West
Central Enterprise Region
to cover the costs of the
development of our District
Ofﬁcial Community Plans
and Zoning Bylaws.
• Meeting adjourned at
9:12 p.m.

‘Human Statues’ at Majestic this Sunday
It will be a unique show this Sunday
at the Majestic Theatre as the wildly
talented Human Statues play the
fourth show in the Biggar and District
Arts Council concert season.
Described as a ‘gorgeously bright,
jubilant pop’, The Human Statues are
comprised of Jeff Bryant and Zack
Stevenson. Originally from Vancouver
Island, the duo are on a mission to
spread “jubilation” across the nation.
Whether it’s playing high-energy
band shows at festivals such as the
Ottawa Blues Fest, or intimate acoustic

performances in theatres across the
country, Bryant and Stevenson are
committed to connecting with people
through humour, authenticity and a
love of music and live performance.
The Human Statues blend an
energetic pop sensibility with lyrical
depth and love of vocal harmony.
The Human Statues plays the
Majestic Theatre this Sunday. Show
time is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are
still available from de Moissac
Jewellers.

Zack Stevenson and Jeff Bryant of the Human Statues will bring their unique
show to the Majestic Theatre this Sunday evening. (Photo for The Independent
by Adam and Kev Photography, Vancouver)

Opinions
The Weather
This year the only topic on the tongues of Biggarites is the weather. No
one can believe the warm temps we are experiencing especially because
it is the ﬁrst month of the year. January is traditionally considered the
coldest month of the year.
While I was doing some research I came across some New Year’s
superstitions and this one about the weather was quite interesting.
Examine the weather in the early hours of New Year’s Day. If the wind
blows from the south, there will be ﬁne weather and prosperous times
in the year ahead. If it comes from the north, it will be a year of bad
weather. The wind blowing from the east brings famine and calamities.
Strangest of all, if the wind blows from the west, the year will witness
plentiful supplies of milk and ﬁsh but will also see the death of a very
important person. If there’s no wind at all, a joyful and prosperous year
may be expected by all.
Whether you believe in superstitions or not it does give some food for
thought.
We have had many customers who came in this last week to renew
their subscription before taking off on a winter holiday. Some remarked
that they look forward to a reprieve from cold temps and try to get away
in January for a bit of a break but that just isn’t the case this year. Still
a holiday is a welcome break.
However, there is a ﬂip side to the coin. Those who like to indulge in
winter sports such as skiing and snowmobiling aren’t as happy with the
weatherman. For these people snow is a must.
It is hard to please everyone, especially if you are in charge of
predicting weather but then the only one in control here is Mother
Nature.
Enjoy the season.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
are welcome. They MUST be signed,
approximately 300 words in length
and are subject to editing.

P.H.

Is Canada a big polluter? It’s all a matter of perspective
by Benjamin Gillies,
Columnist
Distributed by
Troy Media, www.troymedia.com.
Well, it's ofﬁcial: Canada
is out of Kyoto.
While critics were quick
to chastise our government for its decision to
withdraw from the international accord, supporters have passionately jumped to Ottawa’s
defense, arguing it really makes no difference
whether we are involved
in the agreement. After
all, they say, our country
is responsible for only
about 1.85 per cent of
global emissions, which
makes Canada an insigniﬁcant source of carbon
pollution.
As is often the case
with statistics, however,
whether our country is
a big CO2 emitter is a
matter of perspective
because our seemingly
paltry less than two per
cent of global emissions

are enough to make
Canada the eighth-largest overall greenhouse
gas-producing nation in
the world.
Canada one of the bad
guys
To put that another way,
if the 184 lowest-emitting countries banded
together against just
the top 10 worst polluters on the planet,
Canada would be one of
the bad guys. So while
our 1.85 per cent does
not look troublesome in
isolation, it does make
the great white north a
larger contributor to the
problem than almost
all other countries on
earth.
Currently, China is the
world’s largest national polluter, pouring a
whopping 23 per cent
of global greenhouse
gas emissions into the
atmosphere. The Asian
giant is followed by the
United States at about
20 per cent, India at 5.7

per cent and Russia at
approximately 5.6 per
cent. Undoubtedly, there
will never be a meaningful reduction in total
CO2 output without action on the part of these
nations.
Still, though per capita
American emissions are
higher than those north
of the border, in Russia they are only about
half the Canadian total,
while Chinese and Indian carbon output per
person is just one third
and one-tenth the Canadian ﬁgure, respectively.
With only 0.49 per cent
of the world’s population,
our 1.85 per cent of global emissions is about 3.7
times more than what
could be considered our
fair share. As such, it is
rather hypocritical of us
to tell the Chinese (or
Russians or Indians)
that they should signiﬁcantly reduce their emissions without working
to bring down our own

per capita pollution.
Citizens of those countries are likely to question why they should
undertake the effort
and expense of reducing their emissions,
while we can burn carbon in excess. How is it
just, they may ask, that
a typical Canadian is
allowed to pollute far
more than the average
Chinese citizen, simply
by virtue of the fact they
were born in a country
with a much smaller
population? When our
contribution
to
the
problem is greater relative to our size, expecting changes from others
while staying our own
carbon-intensive course
can only be perceived as
unfair, and our demands
will likely be ignored.
Of course, some defenders of the status quo suggest the reason we emit
so much is because Canada produces the energy
supplies other countries

crave - and certainly,
this does play a role in
our pollution rate. Yet,
Saudi Arabia, responsible for over 11 per cent
of global oil production
versus Canada’s 4.3 per
cent, generates only 1.45
per cent of all CO2 emissions. Similarly, Norway
produces about four
times the amount of oil
per citizen as we do, but
is responsible for just
0.17 per cent of world
greenhouse gases and
has per capita emissions
half those of Canada.
Whether the Kyoto Accord is the best vehicle
for reducing the global
carbon footprint is in
doubt, with good reason.
Nevertheless, while no
longer part of the treaty, Canadians should
not become complacent
about our impact on pollution simply because it
is ‘only’ two per cent of
the world total.
Canadians must become
part of the solution

We are not the very
worst offenders, but we
still emit 370 per cent
more CO2 than is our
fair share. Perhaps this
is because our lifestyle
is overly pollutant, compared to those of our
global
counterparts,
or because our energy
sector is considerably
dirtier than those of
other nations - as environmentalists
have
been arguing all along.
Either way, if Canadians
believe reducing greenhouse gas emissions is
a valid environmental
challenge, then there is
ample reason for us to
make a concerted effort
to be part of the solution.
Benjamin Gillies is a political economy graduate
from the University of
Manitoba, where he focused on urban development and energy policy.
He works as a consultant in Winnipeg.

www.biggarindependent.ca

E-mail: tip@sasktel.net

P. O. Box 40
Biggar, SK S0K 0M0

COPYRIGHT
The contents of The Independent are protected by copyright. Reproduction of any material herein may be made only with the written
permission of the publisher.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The Biggar Independent invites the public to participate in its letters to the Editor section. All letters must be signed.
We acknowledge the ﬁnancial support of the Government of Canada, through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF)
for our publishing activities.

MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2012

It’s January, the
beginning of a new year
and the calendars have
all turned over to, not
only to a new month
but yes, a new year. It
always takes a few days
(sometimes weeks) for
customers to remember
to write 2012 instead of
2011.
By now, everyone has
gotten a handful of
calendars from various
businesses and maybe
even have been given
a special one as a
present. There are some
great choices out there
-- landscape, cartoon
characters, ﬂowers,
inspirational -- you
name it.
Loosely deﬁned a
calendar is a tool or a
system of organizing
days for social events,
a sort of administrative
function. In theory that
is how a calendar should
work but it is up to you,
the person, to mark the
dates and remember to
keep the appointments.
Even those high tech
electronic ones on your
computer or smart
phone will only set off
the alarm if you have
programmed it.
The very beginnings
of keeping track of time
originated some 6,000
plus years ago during
the time of Julius

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 5

Caesar. At that time
the passing of time was
governed by the cycle
of the night and day,
keeping a close eye on
the moon and watching
the seasons pass.
Astronomy also played
a factor -- the Earth, sun
and moon -- culminating
in the lunar month
which is measured by
the phases of the moon.
The cycle of the seasons
was once called the
tropical year.
Thirty days has
September, April, June
and November
All the rest have 31
except February which
alone has 28
And in a leap year 29.
This little jingle which
we learned in grade
school has come in so
handy over the years.
Even today if someone
asks me how many days
in a particular month,
the jingle comes to
mind.
Today we use the
Gregorian calendar
which is recognized
as the international
standard, oddly enough
even in China and
India. So we live by the
number of days forming
12 months which equal
the year. A total of 365
days (366 in a leap
year).
The Chinese calendar

calculates the years in
cycles and names each
year -- Year of the Rat,
Year of the Snake. Other
cultures name their
years after historical
or legendary events.
But there are solar
calendars that are based
on seasonal changes.
Some calendars sync to
the motion of Venus. The
lunar calendar follows
the motion of the moon.
I came across this
discussion about a
proposal of a new
calendar that would
supposedly simplify the
time keeping process.
It proposes a 13 month
calendar, adding the
month of Sol after June.
Each month is exactly
four weeks long and an
extra day is added at
the end of the year. Now,
what would that do to
the little jingle!
I have to confess I am
not a fan of calendar
reform. I say let’s just
keep what we’ve got
and use it. It is hard
enough to keep track
of time without having
to change the whole
process at this stage of
the game.

Saskjobs.ca
continues
to be Saskatchewan’s
largest career matching
Web site with more jobs
posted in 2011 than ever
before.
In 2011, there were
more
than
150,000
vacancies posted to the
site, an increase of more
than 39,000 positions
compared to the 2010
postings.
“In 2011, the site served
more employers and
received more visitors
than
ever
before,”
Advanced
Education,
Employment
and
Immigration
Minister
Rob Norris saidThursday.
“With
Saskatchewan

Deadline
for
classiﬁeds
is every
Wednesday
at 5:00 p.m.

“Biggar Community
Christmas”
Organizing Committee
would like to thank all the
organizations and
individuals for supporting
the 4th Annual
Community Christmas.

Going on Holiday?
Take us with you . . .

Make
your
own!

Saskjobs.ca posts a
record number
of jobs in 2011

Biggar & District Arts Council celebrating 33 years presents…

an
m
u
H

s
e
u
t
a
St

Jeﬀ and Zach, a folk/pop duo, blending
an energetic pop sensibility with lyrical
depth and love of vocal harmony.

posting one of the lowest
unemployment
rates
in the country and an
unprecedented
record
of economic growth,
Saskjobs.ca will continue
to serve the needs of
Saskatchewan employers
and job seekers in 2012.”
The site hosted a record
9.8 million visits in 2011
compared to 8.9 million
visits in 2010.
Saskjobs.ca
ﬁnished
with strong numbers in
December 2011:
• There were 11,890
jobs posted, a 43 per cent
increase over December
2010.

• More than 70 per cent
of jobs posted last month
were full-time positions.
• Jobs were posted in
284 communities in
Saskatchewan.
• There were more than
700,000 visits to the site
in December.
•
The majority of
positions were posted in
the following categories:
Trades, Transport and
Equipment Operators;
Sales and Service; and
Business, Finance and
Administration.
Today, there are more
than 8,000 jobs available
on Saskjobs.ca.

The Year of the Laugh
by Bob Mason
It has always bothered
me that in China, they
dedicate
the
name
of each New Year to
something - and we don’t!
(I understand that the
year coming up will be
the year of the Dragon!)
Not to be undone by
the population of a mere
few million, Yours Truly,
regardless of what many
Oriental types may say.
This is not in challenge
to the same society that
invented both type and
paper, but because for
some time now YT hasn’t
heard a deep, down belly
laugh like the one we so
all need!
There
is
no
overcomplimenting the
value of a good laugh
intended to lessen the
tensions that we all
have. Many and many a
tense situation has been
solved because someone
has nade a comical
comment just before
another solution has
been found!
It seems kind of silly
of me to mention any of
those situations here,
but they happened many
times during WWII and
I’m going to tell about a
couple anyway.
The Scout Platoon had
snuck up to the Soeste
River, just this side of
Friesoythe,
Germany,
found it well defended.
Just before they had got
killed, Welby Patterson
M.M. B139427, wisecracked “I’ll bet if we
cross that river a half
mile upstream, we’ll be
able to laugh all the way
to Berlin!:

We did cross the river
half a mile upstream and never lost a man,
though we didn’t laugh
all the way Berlin!
Sergeant Jack G (who
was full of bullet holes),
looked YT in the eye and
said “Pretty high class,
eh? Go get those guys
from the other side!”
Phyllis got a book
the other day, written
by one of the greatest
c o n t e m p o r a r y
comedians, and after the
Christmas cheering and
yelling had died down,
YT got a chance to read.
He only got it nicely
opened and read a few
lines when he realized
how much most of us
had missed out on in
the last few years - for
he had laughed a half
dozen times! Quote.
Paragraph one from the
book, “Motherhood, The
second oldest profession!
by Erma Bombeck:
“I was one of the lucky
women who came to
motherhood with some
experiences (I’d owned
a Shropshire Terrier
for three years!) At ten
months all my kids could
“Stay” and “Heel”! At
twelve months they could
catch a Frisbee in their
teeth in mid air! And

Outdoors in the wide-open . . .

The outdoor
skating rink was a busy place over the holiday season, as dreams of hockey glory abounded. The warm
weather made for some pretty sweet conditions, but the ice is taking a beating. (Photo for The Independent by
Gord Besse)

at ﬁfteen months, after
weeks of rubbing their
noses in it and putting
them outside for awhile,
they were all “paper
trained”.”
Was it me, who said
humour is disappearing?
Much as Yours Truly
claims that an odd laugh,
now and then, is needed
in our humourless society
he doesn’t see a lot of it
on that birthday card I
got from Jim Brown:
“You know you are
getting old when your
back goes out a lot more
than you do?” Funny?

$2 Million Goal!!!

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Or on that Bumper
Sticker they gave me:
“The
reason
I’m
speeding is because I
have to get there before I
forget where I’m going!
Humour?
Or that sign on the wall
that sez “The trouble
with being retired is that
one never gets a day off!”
(Kind of Cynical,eh?)
The odd story does seem
to hit me right though.
One of the Argyll Pipers
wrote in a newsletter YT
got:
“Being an old bagpiper
I was asked to play them
at the graveside service
of a fellow being buried
in a brand new cemetery
in Northern Ontario.
It being in a very remote
area, I got lost and arrived
an hour late, there were
a few men sitting around
having lunch, beside the
backhoe, and a big hole.
I swaggered over to the
grave and played the best
that I had for years. Some

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of the men, stood around
eating their lunch, were
almost in tears.
As I was leaving I
heard one man say to
another “That was the
best piping I’ve ever hear
- but it was kind of odd and I’ve been putting in
Septic tanks for twenty
years!”
Humour sure clears
the mind, I think, many
a public speaker, before
giving some solemn
address, likes to make
the audience laugh.
YT went to hear
Stephen Leacock give
an address. Leacock
was a very learned man,
and was a professor
of
Political
Science
at McGill University.
Having a sort of warped
view of things, I forget
what his main speech
was about, but I do
remember this!
“Having many degrees
after his name, Leacock,
while making an ocean
voyage, was listed as
“Dr.” Leacock.
When a rap came on his
cabin door, a breathless
deckhand told him that
a stewardess had slipped
on the deck sprained her
knee and she wanted a
“Doctor” to look at it!
Leacock said he raced
out to the deck where
the stewardess lay - but
another “Doctor” had
gotten there ﬁrst and was
examining her leg - a D.D.
(Doctor of Divinty!)”
And I can’t forget John
Diefenbaker
speech
when they dedicated the
Saskatchewan Dam:
“I wanted them to call it
“The Diefenbaker Dam”,
he complained, “but they

named the lake after me
instead, now when my
political opponents are
in Sasktachewan I ask
them to ‘Drop In’”
Everybody
laughed,
even
his
political
opponents!
There are kinds of
humour.
The Bob Hope Quickie:
“When I was born, my
Dad looked into the
cradle and said, “My
Gosh. They’ve taken the
baby and left the stork!”
YT missed the next two
jokes because he took
time out to laugh at that
one!)
The Far Side: I still
can’t see how come the
cartoon of a horse, a side
hill and a cowboy are so
doggone funny!
And the L.L. (Local
Lady): YT (to LL): “Have
you heard about the guy
who walked into a bar
and said “Ouch!”
LL: “Why would anyone
walk into a bar and say
“Ouch”?
YT (a kind of smart
alec): “Well, you’d say
“ouch” if you walked into
a bar! Are you sure you
weren’t a blonde one
time?” - Ouch again, eh?
YT searched all through
the row of books on the
shelf above his desk and
found that “humour”
isn’t included in today’s
ratrace.
While Keynes and
Roosevelt were trying
to solve the economy
of the 1930’s mebbe
humour was necessary
to entertain the millions
waiting for good times to
come again!
And now they’re here,
eh?

MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2012

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 7

Saskatchewan
taxpayers protected from inﬂation
ewan’s income tax system
is fully indexed to inﬂation each and every year
helps to keep provincial
taxes as low as possible,”
Finance Minister Ken
Krawetz said. “It’s part
of the Saskatchewan
Advantage.”
In 2008, the provincial
government introduced
signiﬁcant income tax reductions for all Saskatchewan taxpayers through
increased personal exemption amounts and

low-income tax credit
enhancements.
In addition, Saskatchewan introduced the Active Families Beneﬁt in
2009 as a refundable
income tax credit to rebate up to $150 per child
for cultural, recreational
and sports activity fees
for children aged 6 to 14
(the age of eligibility is
being expanded in 2012
to children 17 and under.
And in 2011, the government again enhanced

Surgical wait times
dropping - positive trend continues

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hospitals have completed
more than 48,200 surgeries in the last six months,
7.5 per cent more (almost
3,400 cases) than during
the same period last year.
The number of people
waiting for surgery in a
Saskatchewan hospital is
at its lowest level - about
22,400 cases - since the
current data measurement system was put in
place in 2004.
Surgery within 18
months (Wait Time Goal)
- 99 per cent (Surgeries
completed at Oct. 31,
2011); Surgery within 12
months - 96 per cent; Surgery within 6 months - 87
per cent; Surgery within
3 months - 75 per cent.
By the end of 2011-12,
the SkSI’s goal is to provide all patients with the
opportunity to have surgery within 12 months of
a specialist referral. Six
of the 10 health regions
that perform surgery

are currently achieving
that goal for 100 per
cent of surgeries they
provide. Provincially, 96
per cent of surgeries are
now completed within 12
months.
The Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative was created to improve the surgical
patient experience from
referral through recovery.
Its goal is to provide all
patients with an opportunity to have surgery
within three months by
2014. It is championing
projects such as an online

have saved more than
$10,000 through our government’s income tax reductions,” Krawetz said.
“Lower taxes are the best
way to make life more
affordable for Saskatchewan families.”
The income tax brackets, basic and spousal
credits, senior supplement, dependent child
credit, age credit, disability-related credits,
medical expense credit
and the Saskatchewan
Low-Income Tax Credit
are all subject to indexation.

Biggar Community

directory of surgeons to
help doctors and patients
choose an appropriate
surgeon, surgical safety
checklists in all hospital
operating rooms and new
approaches to care for
patients with hip, knee,
spine, gynaecological and
prostate problems.
More information about
the SkSI can be found
at health.gov.sk.ca/saskatchewan-surgical-initiative. Wait time data is
available at sasksurgery.
ca.

Í
JANUARY HAPPENINGS

Majestic Theatre

FRIDAY, JANUARY 20
8:00 P.M.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 21
8:00 P.M.

Saskatchewan patients
are getting quicker access
to surgery as wait times
continue to drop
The Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative (SkSI)
emphasis on sooner, safer,
smarter surgical care is
resulting in more surgeries being provided, fewer
“long waiters”, and better
surgical patient experiences.
“Saskatchewan has set
some of the most ambitious surgical wait time
goals in the country,”
Health Minister Don McMorris said. “Our latest
monthly data shows that
right now, 99 per cent
of all surgeries are being completed within 18
months and 96 per cent
within 12 months. We’re
clearly heading in the
right direction thanks to
the combined efforts of
health providers, surgical teams and managers
across the province.”
Since November 2007,
the number of patients
waiting longer than 18
months for surgery has
dropped 83 per cent, the
number waiting over 12
months has dropped 68
per cent and the number
waiting more than six
months has declined 49
per cent. These figures
represent improvements
of three per cent, three
per cent and six per cent
respectively since the
previous monthly data
update.
Data to October 31, 2011,
shows that Saskatchewan

the personal income tax
exemption amounts.
When combined with
indexation, a single person with $25,000 annual
income will pay $801 less
in income tax in 2012
than in 2007. A family of four with $50,000
combined income will
pay $2,595 less in 2012
compared to 2007 while
a family of four with
$75,000 combined income will pay $2,386
less.
“By the end of 2012,
a family of four with
$50,000 income will

taxpayers from “bracket
creep”, or the automatic
increase in tax caused by
inﬂation and preserves
the real value of personal income tax credits.
For 2012, income tax
brackets and personal
tax credit amounts will
increase by 2.8 per cent,
which represents the
annual average inﬂation
rate from October 2010
through to September
2011.
“Making sure Saskatch-

Í

Saskatchewan residents
will see an additional
$25.2 million in annual
tax savings as a result
of the indexation of the
provincial income tax
system in 2012.
As a result, an individual taxpayer now pays
no Saskatchewan income
tax on his or her first
$18,075 of income, while
a family of four pays no
income tax on their ﬁrst
$46,850 of income.
Indexation protects

This space is courtesy of The Biggar Independent

Got stuff
to sell?

Place an ad in
The
Independent!
Come in to place
your ad,
102-3rd Ave.
W.,Biggar
or call
948-3344!

There are no warranties offered or implied on the condition
of the property. All properties are sold “as is”. The Town
of Biggar reserves the right to reject any or all tenders.
All legal and transfer costs shall be the responsibility of
the purchaser.
A certiÀed cheque made payable to the Town of Biggar
in the amount of 5% of the amount of the tender must
accompany the tender. The successful bidder will have
30 days to provide the balance of cash to complete the
purchase.

Steamer
Mixers

Come check them out at…

Biggar Leisure
216 Main Street, Biggar
306-948-2266

MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2012

8 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

Agriculture
New Year - New hopes at the farmgate
by Calvin Daniels
A new year has arrived,
and that leaves most of
us thinking about the
passage of time.
For most of us the
passage of time is
marked by things we do
more than the ﬂipping of
a page on a calendar.
Getting out on the golf
course, or dropping a
hook in the water the
day ﬁshing season opens
is a better mark of the
arrival of spring than
hitting a date on the
calendar.
So January 1, is here.
One of the usual signs of
a new year I can clearly
remember from when I
was a young child on the
farm was the arrival of
seed catalogues early in
the new year.
It seemed that when
the Christmas tree went

out, and life settled into
the monotony of the long
days of January, the
catalogues would start
to arrive.
For a child the books
didn’t mean all that
much,
but
I
can
certainly
remember
my grandparents and
mother pouring over the
pages.
My grandparents lived
in town as I grew a bit
older, but the garden
was still essential. It was
both hobby, and a way to
produce food.
Living on a farm a
garden was something
that was a cornerstone
of what ended up on the
kitchen table all year
long.
A root cellar was ﬁlled
each fall with a couple
of dozen feed bags ﬁlled
with potatoes, carrots

wrapped in newspaper,
parsnips, turnips and
shelves of canned fruit,
jam,
and
jelly.
And that
full cellar
started
with
the
arrival of
the
seed
catalogues.
It wasn’t
that
our
garden was
ﬁlled with
new
and
different
things. The
tried and
true ﬁlled the cellar, and
I can’t say our table was
a place of particularly
adventurous meals.
There was one year
kohlrabi was tried, and
I vaguely recall it grew
like a weed, but I can’t

say I recall it on the table.
That might be a case of
a youngster being fussy,
or just that
it was not
something
a n y o n e
liked,
and
it
ended
up being a
treat for the
livestock.
But there
w e r e
certainly
lots
of
discussions
about new
varieties.
It
wasn’t
unusual
for
long
telephone talks to take
place with neighbours,
a seed catalogue close at
hand.
Today
the
family
garden is much more a
rarity than it was when

I was a child. Back then
everyone had one as a
matter of course.
That isn’t the case now.
You can drive a lot of
back alleys in a town
to ﬁnd a garden that
actually means ﬁlling a
deep freeze with produce
in the fall.
Still seed catalogues are
of interest to many.
There is something of
a renascence in terms of
gardening.
It is less about ﬁlling
the cellar and deep
freeze as a stable of the
food supply, and more
about taste experiences.
Today many gardeners
are looking to grow
fruits and vegetables not
normally grown on the
Canadian Prairies. We
have seen the emergence
of grapes, cherries and
even
apricots
being

grown here.
That’s far different
from
strawberries,
currents and raspberries
which were staples of
my grandparents fruit
patch.
Gardeners are also
more apt to opt for
heritage varieties of
vegetables,
seeking
eating experiences that
remind of past days, or
because they deem them
more ﬂavourful than
more recently developed
hybrids.
Living in a suite means
no garden these days,
but when a new year
arrives, thoughts do turn
to growing food that
always seems to taste
better than that bought
in a store.

Got stuff to CWB announces ﬁnal payments
sell?
for 2010-11 crop year
Place an ad in
The
Independent!

2010-11 crop year.
These
payments
represent the balance
of the money owing to
farmers after their grain
has
been
marketed
through the CWB pools,

The Canadian Wheat
Board (CWB) is issuing
ﬁnal
payments
to
farmers for the wheat,
durum wheat and barley
they delivered to the
CWB pools during the

Come in to
place your ad,
102-3rd Ave. W.,
Biggar
or call

For the past 35 years, the
Saskatchewan Junior Citizen
program has been recognizing the
outstanding youth of Saskatchewan.
This year four deserving youth,
aged between 8 and 18 years old,
will receive $3000 bursaries to help
pay for their future post-secondary
education.
Someone you nominate
could be one of them.
Visit www.swna.com for more information and nomination
forms or call Nicole Nater at 1-800-661-7962

948-3344!

Nomination closes April 30, 2012.

and after operating costs
have been deducted.
Direct deposits will
be made to farmers’
accounts on December
22. Farmers who receive
payment by cheque can
expect to begin receiving
them in the mail on
December 30.
Final payments, in
dollars per tonne, for
the base grades in
each pool account are
listed below. The total
payment is based on the
value of grain in store
at Vancouver or the St.
Lawrence.
• No. 1 Canada Western
Red Spring Wheat 12.5:
Initial Payment - $286,
Interim
Payment
$10.50, Final Payment

Report from the Legislature
by Randy Weekes, MLA,
Biggar
(15 December, 2011)
With the short but important fall session of
the legislature behind us,
our thoughts now turn to
what is truly important:
time with friends and
family over the holidays.
It reminds all of us of
why we chose a life of
public service. While
MLAs come from all
walks of life, we have
one thing in common: the
desire to serve the people
of Saskatchewan as best
we can.
Over the last two weeks,
our government laid out
the steps we will take
over the next four years
to continue to move Saskatchewan forward.
In the speech from the
Throne, we reafﬁrmed our
commitments to responsibly manage the province’s
historic growth, improve
the quality of life for all
Saskatchewan people,
make life more affordable
and to be accountable to
you: the electorate.
Over the course of the
legislative session, our
government kept several
promises we made during
the recent election cam-

paign through the introduction of several pieces
of important legislation.
We followed through on
our promise to provide
more support for people
with diabetes, by moving
two long-acting insulins from Exception Drug
Status onto the provincial drug formula and to
expand the Children’s
Insulin Pump Program
to cover residents up to
the age of 25.
We did what we said we
would do.
With the large increase
in economic activity in
Saskatchewan in recent
years, we introduced a
motion regarding the
creation of a lobbyist
registry. With historic
growth come new challenges, including paid
government lobbyists
playing a greater role in
our province.
We also promised during the campaign to
continue to improve the
quality of life for Saskatchewan people with
disabilities through further enhancements to the
Saskatchewan Assured
Income for Disability
(SAID) program. Starting
in January, more than

3,000 SAID recipients
who live in residential
care settings will receive
a $50 per month increase
to their beneﬁts. Over the
next four years beneﬁts
for those living independently will increase by
$350 per month.
Legislation was introduced to make a getting
a university degree more
accessible. Currently,
only the University of
Saskatchewan and the
University of Regina can
issue degrees. Under this
new legislation, degreegranting status could
be expanded to other
post-secondary institutions in the province.
With more and more of
Saskatchewan’s young
people choosing to start
careers and raise families
here, it’s important they
be provided with every
available educational opportunity.
We kept our word on
an important promises
we made that will help
first-time home buyers
and families. Effective
January 1, the First-Time
Homebuyers Tax Credit
comes into effect. It will
provide a $1,100 nonrefundable tax credit by

applying a provincial tax
credit of 11 per cent to the
ﬁrst $10,000 of an eligible
home purchase.
Also becoming effective
in the New Year is an
expansion of the Active
Families Beneﬁt. It has
been expanded to include
all children under the age
of 18. The Active Families Beneﬁt provides an
income tax beneﬁt of up
to $150 per child to help
with the costs of cultural,
recreational and sports
activities.
And, finally, we introduced legislation that
keeps the Premier’s commitment for the 2012-13
school year to begin after the Labour Day long
weekend. Amendments
to The Education Act,
1995, mean the earliest
students will begin the
school year is the first
day following Labour Day
and the school year will
end by June 30.
Over the coming weeks,
the world slows down
providing us with an
opportunity to reflect
and give thanks. While

I am always thankful
for the love and support
of friends and family, I
would be remiss if I did
not also thank you for
your support. On November 7, 2011, you made
history by giving the Saskatchewan Party a strong
mandate to lead our province into the future.

Over the next four years,
I will do everything in my
power to honour that
trust, each and every
day.
Thank you and Merry
Christmas!
If you have a question
about this Legislative report or any other matter,
just contact Randy.

they will stain, or may
even rot! Therefore,
watering from the bottom
is a good way to irrigate.
That is, ﬁll the saucer
the pot sits in, allow the
water to be absorbed by
the plant for about half
an hour, and then pour
out the excess.
Fertilize young plants

Cape primrose. Same
relatively easy care, and
yet different ﬂowers.
The cape primrose
comes in almost every
colour, except orange!
A happy plant will
bloom most of the year!
The blooms are long,
slender stalks over less
‘furry’ leaves then their
cousins, African violet
and gloxinia.
I love gloxinias. My
granny grew them, lots
of them. Big velvety

with a nitrogen rich
fertilizer, as they age,
and are blooming, feed
them with a ﬂoweringplant type of fertilizer,
rich in phosphorous.
There are several kinds
of fertilizers created
especially for African
violets.
Reduce
the
recommended rate of
dilution by a quarter and
use this mixture with

trumpets in so many
different colours, with
white stripes and bands
or solid colours . . .
beautiful.
Like its cousins, it
likes lots of light, but
nothing direct! It needs
to be slightly moist, but
not soggy wet, don’t
ever let it dry out like a
desert, it will not like it.

by Delta Fay Cruickshank, of The Independent
The holidays are over.
The decorations are
coming down. Friends
and family have left
for their own homes
and back to work. As I
closed the door, I sighed,
I listened to the silence.
Looking around, gone are
all the bright Christmas
colours, and the house
is looking a little drab.
What would bring some
colour and life for the
rest of the winter?
Blooming houseplants!
There are easy to care
for houseplants, but
most of them are mainly
green. The blooming
plants need a little bit
more attention, but then
the efforts are rewarded
with bright colours!
There is a family
of plants that make
absolutely
beautiful
blooming houseplants,
and really are not that
fussy to care for. It is
the Gesneriaceae family.
There are three members
of this family that are
beautiful plants and will
bloom for ages!
The most familiar
plant in this family are
the African Violets, also
known as Saintpaulia.
Native to Tanzania,
African violets love our
nice warm homes. They
will tolerate low light,
and yet thrive in as much
bright light as you can
give it! But don’t set them
in direct light, they don’t
like that. In late spring
and early fall look for an
area in your home that
gets bright light most of
the day, and full sun in
the afternoon. My south
and east facing living
room will be perfect. In
the winter, move them
closer to an east or south
window, but at least a
metre away from the
window. They do not like
the cold coming through
the window.
Keep an eye on the
plant. If the leaves are
long, and bending toward
the sun or if there are
no blooms, well, it is not
getting enough light.
On the other hand, if
the leaves are tight and
small, and bleached, it is
getting too much light!
The plant will tell you,
just ‘listen’.
Water when the soil
feels dry, keep in mind
that they prefer a
slightly moist, not wet,
environment. The leaves
do not like getting wet,

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 11

Family and friends have left now the holidays are over. Now it is time to invite
members of the Gesneriaceae family into your home. This family will bloom away
the gloom! African violet, top, Gloxinia, left and Streptocarpus, also known as the
Cape Primrose, are outstanding members of this African family. They all really
like our warm homes, just don’t let the sun shine directly on them! (photos from
google.com)

MOBILEWEB
every watering.
There are hundreds of
different colour varieties
to chose from. Pick one,
or a dozen. from a good
source
in
whatever
colours appeals to you
the most, bring it home,
and watch it grow and
bloom. It is so simple to
start new ones . . . break
off a leave, stick this into
some growing medium
like sand, perlite, or
even a purchased starter
soil mix, and eventually
a wee baby leave will
sprout up!
Then maybe you can
graduate
to
raising
other members of their
family; the gloxinia and
the Streptocarpus or

It likes it warm, whilst it
is blooming. It performs
well in 70˚F, doesn’t
like cold at all, but will
appreciate some time
at 50˚F after blooming
going into a period of
dormancy.
Gloxinias
grow from a tuber, like
a begonia, so needs
some time to rest before
setting off again into
leaves and blooms.
One day this lovely
warm and sunny spell
will be over, and we
will be back to the cold,
white winter, with cold
sunshine . . . invite
some members of the
Gesneriaceae family into
your home to bloom away
the gloom!

12 - THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK

MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2012

How to get a home organized
When colder weather
arrives, many people
stay indoors and fight
the harsh weather with
hot chocolate and heating
systems. It’s no surprise,
then, that most homes
accumulate quite the

amount of clutter over the
course of a typical winter.
The more time we spend
indoors, the more junk we
seem to amass.
Clutter can contribute
to the sense of cabin fever many people begin

to feel as winter trudges
forward. But a few homeorganization tips can help
make all those extra hours
spent indoors during the
winter months a little less
claustrophobic.
• Buy a coat rack. Just

When the cold weather gets here, we will all be spending more time indoors. The
more time spent indoors means more clutter. More clutter may lead to a “cabin
fever” feeling. To prevent this, here are some steps to reduce clutter. Above is one
tip, hanging 2 closet rods rather than leaving one at the top of the closet, will use
the space more efﬁciently, and avoid clutter in the closets.

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in a sea of throw pillows
that, while decorative,
serve little purpose. Don’t
overdo it with throw pillows and designate an
area for all those remote
controls.
• Clean out the refrigerator. Another culprit
when it comes to clutter
is the family refrigerator.
Half-eaten meals or expired items can be found
in almost every refrigerator on the planet. If
you’re putting leftovers
in the fridge after every
meal, then chances are
you have lots of leftovers
that have passed their
prime. Have a potluck
night where you eat all
of the leftovers. Clean
out the refrigerator once
a week to ensure that it
only contains fresh foods,
beverages and additional
items.
• Add storage space.
Using drawers and only
drawers for storage is
a great way to become
disorganized. If you have
any bare walls, particularly in the kitchen, use
them to hang shelves
you can use for storage.
If the walls are full or not
sturdy enough to hang a
storage shelf, install an
extra shelf or two in the
pantry.

Village of Perdue

2005 Grand Marguis Ultimate
local car, SK Tax Pd.

$29,900

to find and will likely
prevent you from just
adding random items to
desk drawers.
• Bundle all those cords.
Nowadays, the average
television has roughly one
dozen cords attached to it.
HDMI cables, video game
consoles, DVD players,
home theater systems,
and, of course, the television cord itself are among
the many cords that can
make a mess near your
television. Bundle these
cords with a cord organizer to make wires and
plugs much more manageable.
• Toss the junk mail.
Thanks to paperless bank
statements and online
billing, many people no
longer receive important
documents through the
mail. Instead, mailboxes
are ﬁlled with junk mail
such as advertisements
or menus from local restaurants. Rather than
placing junk mail on the
kitchen counter or storing it in the desk drawer,
throw it out as you receive
it and you will no doubt
notice considerably less
clutter almost instantly.
• Stop losing things
to the couch. Few things
are as frustrating as a
missing remote control.
Too often remotes get lost

PUBLIC NOTICE

Perdue, Sask.

2011 Escape Limited,
V6, 4x4, leather, 11 km!

about everyone bundles
up in a warm coat once
the temperatures dip. But
once you get home and the
warm air inside welcomes
you, the ﬁrst instinct is
to take the coat off and
lay it down on the ﬁrst
chair you see. Instead of
tossing all those coats on
an armchair or a bench
in the kitchen, buy a coat
rack and place it just inside the main entrance.
This way you will always
know where your coat
is, and the house won’t
look so messy with coats
strewn about in a variety
of places.
• Have a tray set aside
for keys. As clutter accumulates throughout
the winter, the chances
your keys will go missing
increase. Save yourself
the frantic search for keys
in the morning by setting
a tray aside for keys or
just hanging a hook on
the wall where everyone
places their keys.
• Partition desk drawers. It’s easy to ﬁll a desk
drawer. It’s much harder
to remember a drawer’s
contents. Save yourself
the stress of rooting
through desk drawers
by installing partitions
so everything is not just
lumped in together. This
will make things easier

TOLL FREE 1-888-264-1955

In accordance with the Municipalities Act and Public Notice Policy Bylaw No. 2-2005,
public notice is hereby given that the Village intends to borrow up to $100,000.00 for
infrastructure replacement.
This borrowing is based on costs associated with recent sewer and water line
replacement on 9th Street and Avenue J.
The funds will be borrowed over a term of three (3) years payable in equal monthly
installments of principal and interest. Funds to repay the loan will come from the tax
levy.
Council will be considering a formal resolution/bylaw as to proceeding with the
borrowing at a regular meeting of Council to be held on Tuesday, January 17, 2012.
Dated at Perdue, Saskatchewan, this 4th day of January, 2012
Nancy Duns,
Chief Administrative OfÀcer

For the past 35 years, the
Saskatchewan Junior Citizen
program has been recognizing the
outstanding youth of Saskatchewan.
This year four deserving youth,
aged between 8 and 18 years old,
will receive $3000 bursaries to help
pay for their future post-secondary
education.
Someone you nominate
could be one of them.
Visit www.swna.com for more information and nomination
forms or call Nicole Nater at 1-800-661-7962
Nomination closes April 30, 2012.

Helen Buxton 658-2115
Happy New Year everyone! We have enjoyed beautiful weather
throughout the holiday
season. Unfortunately,
quite a few people were
victims of a ﬂu bug. We
hope everyone is soon
well again.
I accompanied my
daughter, Carol, to Marsden on Friday, and spent
a day with Jimmy and
Trina Czernick and family. Then on Saturday,
Carol took me to Doug
and Wanda Buxton’s in
Lloydminster to see the
New Year in with them.
Doug had to return to
Saskatoon on Monday
to continue cancer treatment, so they brought me
to Landis on their way.
Don Sizer has received
word of the sudden and

unexpected death of his
sister-in-law, Jenny Prignitz. Jenny, and her husband, Hino, both taught
at Landis School in the
1960’s, and their children
attended school here.
Deepest sympathy to
Hino and his family.
Jim Buxton and Joyce
Manns spent the weekend at Flin Flon with
Joyce’s sister, Janice and
Jim Cassidy.
Marie Scott and I visited Bill and Jessie Miller
in Popular Courts on
Tuesday. They are both
well, and really enjoy
company.
Landis Mixed Bonspiel
runs January 12, 13 and
14. Must be one member
of the opposite sex. Cash
prizes. Come on out and
curl, or come and watch.

Four weeks of FREE workshops in Biggar about diabetes
for people with diabetes and their families. Some or all of
these classes will be of interest to those newly diagnosed,
and those who have been living with diabetes.
Please call Bev at 948-3323 ext 250 to REGISTER.
Please leave a message with your name
and phone number if she is away from
the ofÀce.
Registration Deadline is January 10,
2012. Please feel free to attend all or
some of the classes, according to your
schedule and needs.

Cars need washing in winter
If you think a car wash
is only for sunny summer days, think again.
Washing a car in the
winter months can help it
operate at peak capacity
despite harsh weather.
People take different
tactics when it comes to
washing their cars. Some
prefer to hand wash their
vehicles, taking care to
primp and polish. While
this might be easy when
it is warm outside, cold
weather can quickly zap
ambition and actually
make it downright painful to do so. Also, environmental experts tend to
frown upon washing the
car in the driveway because of the water waste
and chemical detergents
running into storm sewe r s. C o m m e r c i a l c a r
washes recycle and ﬁlter
their water.
Preventative car care
is especially important
when the cold weather
sets in. The road additives -- such as salt and
sand -- can wreak havoc
on a car’s paint, corrode
the undercarriage of the
vehicle and potentially
rust the wheel wells.

Keeping the car clean
and waxed can protect
the ﬁnish and help protect against scratches
and marring from any
winter road debris.
Car corrosion damage is
especially common during the winter months.
Prevention remains the
best solution to corrosion,
and a car wash is a preventative measure that
takes little effort.
Automatic car washes
are a convenient way
to clean a vehicle in the
winter. However, these
facilities tend to use
harsh chemicals that
eat through debris. This
can result in swirling
patterns and spotting on
some cars. An alternative is to head to one of
the self-wash carwash
bays and bring along
your own products or
rely on theirs so that you
will have a high-powered
water supply for rinsing.
Even if you cannot do the
cleaning job you would
in the warmer weather,
rinsing some of the salt
and grime from the car,
expecially underneath,
can go a long way toward

preventing corrosion.
Before the snowy season
sets in, it’s a good idea
to do a thorough washing of the car and apply
a new coat of a highquality wax. The wax will
serve as an extra barrier
against grime.
Before and after washing
the car when it’s below
freezing, it’s adviseable to
use a de-icing product on
the doors and windows. If

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If The Independent Box Number is used add $3.00

• ALL CLASSIFIED MUST BE PREPAID •
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with photo...................... $40.00
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All advertising subject to publisher’s approval. It is agreed by The
independent and any advertiser using or requesting space that the
publisher shall not be held liable for damages in event of non-insertion
of, or errors in advertisements, in excess of or beyond the amount paid
for space actually occupied by the non-insertion, or by that portion of
the advertisement in which the error or non-insertion occurred whether
such error or non-insertion is due to the negligence of its ser vants or
other wise.
All advertisers must assume responsibility for errors in any
advertisement which is supplied to The Independent in handwritten form
or given over the phone.

PLEASE READ YOUR AD -- Advertisers should read their
advertisement THE FIRST ISSUE IT APPEARS and report
any errors in time for the next insertion.
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this newspaper should not be taken as an endorsement of the product or
service offered.
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OBITUARIES

Clarence James Guran
Mr. Clarence James Guran
passed away on Saturday,
Christmas Eve, December 24,
2011 at his home in Regina,
Sask., at the age of 73 years.
He was the second youngest
of eight children born to Joseph
and Marie Guran of Marriott Valley Centre district: George,
Frank, Agnes, Alice “Kelly”,
Margaret, Joey, and Edwin.
Clarence was born December
18, 1938 at Rosetown Hospital,
and raised on the farm, north of
Rosetown, in the Marriott School
district. He attended Marriott
School to grade eight then
started to farm with his dad and
brothers. He enjoyed farming
very much for many years;
going to auction sales; wheeling
and dealing at Saskatoon Pawn
Shop; playing the lotteries;
buying and selling scrap metals
in Regina; playing “Kaiser”
with his friends; volunteering at
Regina Salvation Army Stores;
and the highlight of his life, was
a trip to the Philippine Island, on

Eileen C. Johnson
April 12, 1941 December 21, 2011
It is with great sadness that
we announce the peaceful
passing of Eileen C. Johnson
(nee Dekteroff) at the Strathcona
Alzheimer Care Centre in
Sherwood Park, Alta. on
December 21, 2011.
Eileen is lovingly survived
by Iver, her husband of 49
years, of Sherwood Park,
as well as her four children
and 11 grandchildren: Scot
Johnson, wife Chris and kids
Kyle and Brett of Saskatoon,
Sask.; Trent Johnson, wife Lori
and kids Courtney, Nicole and
Matthew of Sherwood Park;
Chad Johnson, wife Angela
and children Keighden, Natalia
and Ayva of Kelowna, B.C.; and
Pamela McRae, husband Keith
and children Keiran, Kailea, and
Finley of North Vancouver, B.C.
Eileen was born in Biggar,
Sask. In 1962, she married Iver
and over the next 49 years they
resided in Saskatchewan, British
Columbia and Alberta. Eileen
was a very loving and generous
woman to whom family was
the most important thing in her
life. Eileen’s immediate family
gathered to celebrate her life in
Sherwood Park on December
23, 2011. Visit guest book at
remembering.ca
Eileen’s family would like to
express their gratitude for all
the kindness and compassion
shown to her by the staff of
the Strathcona Alzheimer Care
Centre.
2c1

MEMORIAMS
TROJAN: In loving memory
of Arthur, who passed away
January 8, 1990
“He suffered much
He earned his rest
The Lord took him
for He knew best
A greater gain and sacri¿ce.”
Lovingly remembered
by his family
2p1

CARD OF
THANKS
To our friends and co-workers,
we extend our heartfelt thanks
for the many acts of kindnesses
received on the loss of our
mother. Your visits to the funeral
home and the condolences
offered will never be forgotten.
Sincerely, The Raddysh
and Beeson families
2p1
Many thanks to the coordinators,
donors,
volunteers
and
participants who made the
Community Christmas at New
Horizons on December 25th
such a great occasion.
Marie Winsel, Louis St. Jean,
Mildred Henne, Helen
and Alex Serak
2p1

COMING
EVENTS
TUESDAY,
JANUARY
10:
Biggar Gymnastics Club are
currently accepting new and
returning registrations. Classes
start January 10. For info call
Melissa 948-2251.
1c2

Deadline Wed. 5 p.m.

COMING
EVENTS
SUNDAYS
in
January:
Presbyterians,
Anglicans,
Lutherans will be worshipping
at Redeemer Lutheran Church,
Biggar at 10:30 a.m. Everyone
is welcome. January 15, the
service will be at 4 p.m. with
ordination and installation of
Pastor Mark Kleiner. Supper to
follow at Biggar New Horizons.
Mark’s phone number is 9517122 if you have questions or
need pastoral support.
48/10tfn
SUNDAY, JANUARY 15: Biggar
& District Arts Council presents…
”Human Statues”, 7:30 p.m. at
The Majestic Theatre, Biggar.
Advance tickets available at
de Moissac Jewellers. Adults/
Seniors, $25 at the door,
advance $20; Students, $15 at
the door, advance $12; children
12 and under, $5.
2c1
SUNDAY,
JANUARY
15:
DANCE, 2 - 5 p.m. with
Saskatoon Rythmaires at Biggar
Community Hall. Admission $10
includes lunch and door prizes.
948-2913/948-2922
2p1
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3: Biggar
& District Arts Council presents…
“Belle Plaine”, 7:30 p.m. at
The Majestic Theatre, Biggar.
Advance tickets available at
de Moissac Jewellers. Adults/
Seniors, $25 at the door,
advance, $20; Students, $15 at
the door, advance $12; children
12 and under, $5.
2c4

INVITATIONS
SATURDAY, JANUARY 14:
Baby shower for Ronan, son of
Amanda (Delainey) and Shawn
Whyte, 2 - 4 p.m. at the home of
Bruce and Helen Delainey, 5.5
km west on Hwy 51.
2p1

NOTICE
Families,
clubs,
churches
and businesses are invited to
do a Heritage Page to be on
permanent display at Biggar
Museum. Share your history!
Do yours prior to the centennial
celebrations!
For
more
information call 948-3451 or visit
museum 1 - 5 p.m., Monday Friday.
7tfn
This
newspaper
accepts
advertisements in good faith.
We advise that it is in your
interest to investigate offers
personally. Publications by this
paper should not be taken as an
endorsement of the product or
service offered.
tfn
Advertisements
and
statements contained herein
are the sole responsibility of
the persons or entities that
post the advertisement, and
the
Saskatchewan
Weekly
Newspaper Association and
membership do not make any
warranty as to the accuracy,
completeness, truthfulness or
reliability of such advertisements.
For greater information on
advertising conditions, please
consult the Association’s Blanket
Advertising Conditions on our
website at www.swna.com.
tfn

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LOCAL ROCKY Mountain House
company looking for day rate and
hourly Vacuum Truck Operator.
Must have current oil¿eld tickets
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Roe & Company
is a full service law ofﬁce
that practices…
¾Family and Criminal law
¾Commercial law
¾Real Estate
¾Wills and Estate,
and
our lawyers,
William Roe, Q.C.
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you and can be contacted at:

available at Grape Moments
located in The Independent, 102 - 3rd Ave. West, Biggar

948-3344

MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2012

THE INDEPENDENT, BIGGAR, SK - 19

Winter Grilling Tips & Tricks
(MS) -- Barbecuing isn’t
just for the lazy days of
summer. Delicious grilled
meals are easy to prepare
year-round. Here are a
few tips for winter barbecuing that are important
to remember before you
get the snow shovel out.
• Always pre-heat your
barbecue. Pre-heat to
400˚ F -- 450˚ F at minimum, and adjust the
temperature from there.
Remember, if food doesn’t
sizzle when you put it on

the grill, your barbecue is
not hot enough.
• If you are grilling with
charcoal, include more
charcoal for increased
pre-heating time and extra heat while grilling.
• Cooking times may
change with extreme
cold. Always use an instant read thermometer
to ensure that foods are
cooked thoroughly.
• Grill with the lid down.
Heat loss on a cold day is
signiﬁcantly greater than

a warm summer day, and
keeping your barbecue at
a consistent temperature
will be very difﬁcult with
the lid open.
• When grilling on a
windy day, try to reduce
your exposure to the
wind. If grilling at lower
temperatures, keep an
eye on your barbecue to
ensure that it does not
blow out. If you do need
to move your barbecue
out of the wind, keep
minimum clearances in

mind to avoid damaging
your deck or home.
• Clear a work area
around your barbecue.
This won’t impact cooking
time, but having enough
room to work without ﬁlling your boots with snow
makes for a much more
enjoyable barbecue experience and avoids any
untimely slips or falls.
• Several lighting options are available. Some
barbecues have built in

lighting, and add-on handle lights are available
so you’re not grilling in
the dark.
• Never use your barbecue indoors, in your

garage or in an enclosed
area. Carbon Monoxide
accumulation, accidental
ﬁre damage, and smoke
damage are all possible
-- it’s not worth the risk.

Serve
your
own!
Wine kits and supplies
available at

Grape
Moments
in The Independent
102-3rd Ave.W.
Biggar, SK
948-3344

Healthy Body Image
Eating disorders are illnesses influenced by emotional
and cultural factors. They are not a choice. People
are being affected by eating disorders at an earlier age
than ever before. Talk about healthy living to your kids
– not about weight. Model a healthy lifestyle for them.
Help your kids develop self esteem on qualities other
than appearance. Talk to your kids about what they
are seeing portrayed as normal in the media and by
culture.
End the cycle of negative attitudes
surrounding weight and food.

Asquith Council News
for December

For toll-free health information
24 hours a day.
Please call 1-888-425-4444(TTY)
if you have hearing or speech
difficulties
Smokers Helpline 1-877-513-5333 or www.smokefree.ca

Asquith Town Council
held its regular December Council meeting on
December 13.
The Asquith Fire Department has been responding to quite a few
ﬁres and motor vehicle
accidents.
The new water plant
is now fully operational,
and all Building Canada
Grant deadlines have
been met. The water
quality from the new
plant is very good, with
levels of iron and manganese now testing at or
around 0 mg/litre.
The Town of Asquith
will be sponsoring the
Royal Canadian Legion
Remembrance Book
again by purchasing an
eighth page of advertisement for $195.
A reserve was created to
cover the decommissioning of old wells within
Town in the 2012 ﬁscal
year. This was budgeted
for in 2011, but the project timeline on the water
plant meant that the decommissioning could not
be completed this year.

Owen Gentes, Andrea
Ganchar and Kathy Picketts have been appointed
to the Asquith Community Rink Board.
Bylaw No. 7-2011, a Bylaw to Repeal Outdated
Bylaws was passed, Bylaw No. 8-2011, a Bylaw

to Exempt the Mason’s
Lodge from Taxation
was passed, and Bylaw
No. 9-2011, a Bylaw to
Amend the Utility Bylaw
was passed. The amendment to the Utility Bylaw
dealt with the costs of
having one’s water ser-

vice turned back on during the off hours of the
employee. This rate has
gone from $30 to $50.
The Asquith Town Ofﬁce was closed from December 22 to 27.

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$99999

Located at 192-24th Street West, Battleford - 2 Blocks north of the Post OfÀce in the Town of Battleford
• Toll Free 1-877-937-7474 • Local 937-7474 • Fax 937-7676 Check us out at www.battlefordfurniture.com